They treating these running backs like women pushing 30

[Road20]

Big facts. Early 2000s were dope

For example these guys were all legitimate feature backs in either 2002 or 2003:
Travis Henry
Curtis Martin
Ricky Williams
Jamal Lewis
Rudi Johnson
LaDainian Tomlinson
Priest Holmes
Charlie Garner
Clinton Portis
Eddie George
Edgerrin James
Fred Taylor
Stephen Davis
Tiki Barber
Duce Staley
Ahman Green
Anthony Thomas
James Stewart
Michael Bennett
Marshall Faulk
Shaun Alexander
Deuce McAllister

As an Eagles fan Duce was my mf nikka

 

[broller]

People going to gloss over this for their faux outrage. Reality is, it’s extremely rare a RB plays up to a second contract. Saquan is still young, his asking price wasn’t too extreme and it was a 3 year deal. I think he got hosed but in general giving out a 5 year deal to a RB passed 26 is probably bad GMing.

Well it's not over yet so we don't know if he'll get hosed.

 

[BigMoneyGrip]

It's crazy a guy like Ekeler who gets 100 targets out the backfield along with his rushing yards is getting paid peanuts

That should be on the agent… not negotiating that aspect is malpractice

 

[kdslittlebro]

If your entire position group has essentially been pushed out of the first round of the draft, how could the writing not have been on the wall? This feels like a conversation that was had a long ass time ago; basically right after Gurley

 

[Mirin4rmfar]

Just remove the franchise tag and allow elite players to get their 3-4 year extension. Daniel Jones aint ish without Saquon yet DJ got paid

 

[triplehate]

I mean this would be my philosophy for dual threat qbs as well. Draft them, run em in the ground like Cam... Then draft another one and let him walk after year 4.


Morally wrong but prolly would keep you in contention by building up the rest of the roster by not paying a QB 50 million

 

[Bop Gun]

I honestly feel Bjan Robinson and Breece Hall (when healthy in 2024) will be along the lines of McCaferty.

RBs need to be the reverse Deebo as players, being able to swap out as receivers.

Ultimate chess pieces.

I was born way too early.

Breece Hall is nice.

The 49ers were trying to be slick and pay Deebo at the Running Back rate.

 

[Windows 91]

Chiefs winning titles with 7th rounders at the top of the RB depth chart ain't helping either

 

[SmoothOperator88]

I think this is the ripple affect of the type of offensive lineman we have coming into the NFL.

Rarely do we have true maulers come into the league with all these spread formation OLinemen where backs today don’t have players in front of them to allow them to showcase their talents.

Another strange thing to me is that I don’t think a lot of these backs are as good as runners in the past. I just don’t see the mental smarts from the position other than Nick Chubb, Saquon, and a very small handful of running backs. They just aren’t as musically poetic runners as I grew up seeing and learning from.  I’ve seen so many so-called good backs, leave yards on the field, by being poor decision makers.

There are a LOT of DUMB runners in the NFL.

Combine this with the reduction of padded practices. So the opportunities to refine those skillsets once you reach the NFL aren't what they used to be.

 

[b. woods]

Chiefs winning titles with 7th rounders at the top of the RB depth chart ain't helping either

A future HOF HC and QB combo allows them to get away with it.

Just like and Brady did.

 

[NYC Rebel]

Combine this with the reduction of padded practices. So the opportunities to refine those skillsets once you reach the NFL aren't what they used to be.

Forgot about that.

I just dont see the poetry consistently from runners anymore. Ive been attending NFL games over the past decade and see so many bad decisions and a lack of creativity from runners.

Nick Chubb is the most instinctive runner in the league. By far. But he would have been a dime a dozen 20 years ago because you had Curtis Martin, Faulk, Fred Taylor and others who just had an instinct to know when to slow down pace to create their own holes, not overcommit. I say this as someone who ran on pure instinct and feel. These new backs dont seem to have that.

I see Bjan Robinson having it. If Marcus Lattimore didnt get hurt in college, he would have demonstrated that feel missing from these backs.

But you brilliantly pointed out…it isnt their fault because a lack of repetition.

 

[chargers31]

 

[FAH1223]

No more Tiki Barber or Curtis Martin rushing for 1600+ yards after age 30

 

[Remote]

Sad.

These RBs in high school better transition to baseball.

Better pay.
Less CTE.

 

[Sonic Boom of the South]

This is why you don't give RB's top contracts. Below is the list of the Top 15 Rushers in the 2017 season. Notice how many of them still played let alone contributed 5 seasons later in 2022.

10 out of the 15 players on the list didn't play in 2022. Some of those players were 22 or 23 that year. How are you going to pay a Back a 5 year 70 Million deal when you can't guarantee he will be in the league in 5 years?

Would you be happy paying Todd Gurley, Leveon Bell, Kareem Hunt, or CJ Anderson big long term deals?

Rk	Player	Age	2017 Yds	2022 Yds
1​	Kareem Hunt	22​	1327​	468​
2​	Todd Gurley	23​	1305​	0​
3​	Le'Veon Bell	25​	1291​	0​
4​	LeSean McCoy	29​	1138​	0​
5​	Mark Ingram	28​	1124​	233​
6​	Jordan Howard	23​	1122​	1​
7​	Melvin Gordon	24​	1105​	318​
8​	Leonard Fournette	22​	1040​	668​
9​	C.J. Anderson	26​	1007​	0​
10​	Ezekiel Elliott	22​	983​	876​
11​	Alex Collins	23​	973​	0​
12​	Frank Gore	34​	961​	0​
13​	Carlos Hyde	27​	938​	0​
14​	Dion Lewis	27​	896​	0​
15​	Marshawn Lynch	31​	891​	0​
		Total Yards	16101​	2564​